


The Summer of Henry

by iloveromance



Category: Wet Hot American Summer (2001)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-31
Updated: 2018-05-31
Packaged: 2019-05-16 11:13:45
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 28
Words: 16,535
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14810288
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iloveromance/pseuds/iloveromance
Summary: When 17 year old Melissa Sherwood is sent away to Camp Firewood in 1981, she unexpectedly falls in love with camp counselor Henry Newman. But even more unexpected is the revelation of a secret that Henry has been keeping. And it's a secret that could shatter Melissa's fragile heart. A completely AU version of the film in which David Hyde Pierce stars as Henry Newman





	1. Chapter 1

Leave it to my mother to completely ruin my much-anticipated seventeenth summer.

Just days before the last day of school, we were sitting at the dinner table; Mom, Dad, my totally annoying little brother Spence... and me.

I was talking incessantly about my plans for the summer, which included hanging out with my best friend Bianca and to spend every possible moment at the Augusta Public pool.

Oh, I wasn't a big swimmer. In fact, I can't really swim at all. But no way would I allow Brett to know that.

He's the guy I've been in love with since the 7th grade.

Brett Morris, that is...

He was a lifeguard at the pool and he was the most handsome boy I'd ever seen.

All it took was one glance at him during 7th grade orientation at Augusta Jr. High and I was head over heels in love.

Dark hair and brown eyes... In my mind no other boy even came close.

Bianca was forever trying to get me to talk to him, but I didn't dare. Yes, I'm so pathetic that I've never even spoken to him. I tried to keep my feelings for him to myself but it didn't last long.

Bianca caught me staring at Brett during a pep rally one Friday afternoon. When it was over, and we headed back to our classrooms, she yanked me out of line and corned me in the girl's bathroom, demanding to know every last detail.

Reluctantly I told her (she is my best friend, after all), but I've regretted it ever since. For the past nine months-the duration of our sophomore year, she's bugged me to no end, trying to get me to talk to him face to face.

But I just couldn't do it. Besides, what would he find remotely interesting in me; a girl with shoulder-length brown hair, glasses and freckles.

The one time I was bold enough to approach Brett, we were in the cafeteria. I walked up behind him and with trembling fingers, reached out and touched his pink polo shirt.

He whirled around but at that exact moment, Tom Franklin waved his arm dramatically, hitting me square in the face and knocking me to the ground.

Afraid to look at Brett, I pulled myself to my feet, painfully aware of the humiliating laughter that followed.

Instead of buying my lunch like I normally did, I ran down the hallway until I came to an empty practice room in the band hall. And it was there that I cried my eyes out.

From then on, I decided to love Brett Morris from afar.


	2. Chapter 2

"So it's all settled. We'll leave on the 22nd."

I looked up, suddenly aware that my dad was speaking.

"Leave? You mean we're actually going to Disneyland?"

Spencer laughed hysterically and I could hear Dad chuckling.

My mother meanwhile, looked at me and sighed.

"Oh Melissa, I wish you'd get your head out of the clouds just once! We're not going to Disneyland!"

I gasped in shock. "But you promised!"

"I did no such thing, Melissa Ann Sherwood!"

"Oooohh!" came Spencer's voice. Like me, he knew that when Mom used our full names, she meant business.

"Okay then. Where are we going?"

"We're not going anywhere." She replied. "You are."

I blinked. "What?"

"Your father and I want you to have a productive summer." She explained. "So we're sending you away to summer camp."

If Timothy Hutton himself had walked through the door, I couldn't have been more surprised. And he was the foxiest guy ever to appear on film!

"Mom, you can't be serious! Summer camp?"

"Come on, Honey! It'll be good for you!"

I looked at my dad with annoyance. "Are you crazy? I can't go to summer camp! That's for losers! Remember how miserable Bianca was the summer she went?"

"But this isn't just any summer camp." My father said, in an attempt to make this conversation seem worthwhile. "This is Camp Firewood!"

"A Jewish camp!" Spencer so graciously added.

My mouth fell open in stunned amazement. This really couldn't be happening.

"How can I go to a Jewish summer camp? In case you've forgotten, we're not Jewish!"

"Well, yes we realize that, dear." Mom said. "But your father pulled some strings and his boss Ernie agreed to let you in. Isn't that wonderful?"

"Great!" I said, feigning excitement. In a matter of one dinner my hopes and dreams came crashing down.

This was going to be the worst summer ever.


	3. Chapter 3

"Summer camp, are you serious?"

"Yeah... So much for hanging out all summer." I replied glumly.

"But now you'll never get to talk to Brett!" Bianca said.

"Don't remind me. But it's not like it matters anyway."

"This is horrible!" Bianca said, ignoring my last comment.

"But it gets worse." I went on. "It's a Jewish camp."

Her eyes widened.

"Like a concentration camp? Whoa...! I've seen those on TV on those weird history programs that my dad's always watching!"

I rolled my eyes and shook my head in disbelief.

Bianca was my best friend but she could be so dense sometimes. Why would my parents send me to a concentration camp? They can be mean but... get real!

"Um... No, Bianca. Not a concentration camp. It's summer camp. But all the  
kids are Jewish." I explained.

"You're not."'

"Yes, I know that." I said, echoing the words my mother used earlier.

"How can you go to a Jewish camp if you aren't even Jewish?"

"My dad is friends with the camp director's father."

"Lucky for you, huh? Wow... Summer camp is the worst!"

My eyes met hers. "You never told me you went to summer camp!"

"Well, it's something I try to forget. Only went once but it was the worst summer of my life!"

"So what did you do there?"

"You mean besides spend three months in absolute misery?"

"Thanks a lot. If it's that bad, what am I supposed to do?"

"Just do what I did. Don't talk to anyone and stay as far away from the camp counselors as possible. They're just as bad as teachers, except dressed in shorts, t-shirts and swimming suits. Oh and whatever you do, don't eat the food. Use the vending machines instead. If you think our food in the cafeteria is bad, just WAIT till you try the stuff at Camp Firewood! Makes me want to barf just thinking about it!"

At that moment, the last thing on my mind was whether or not the food was good. My concern was more obvious... or so I thought.

"But Bianca, there will be kids everywhere! I can't exactly be a hermit! I mean, it'll be impossible to ignore everyone."

"Trust me it's easier than you think. Just stay in your cabin and daydream about Brett. Daydreaming works at school. It'll work even better at camp."

I smiled at Bianca's logic, but daydreaming about a boy who would be so  
far away would only make me more miserable; especially since he probably wanted nothing to do with me whatsoever.

This was getting worse and worse by the minute.


	4. Chapter 4

Despite my protests, Mom packed my belongings and tearfully kissed me goodbye. Then even before the sun had risen, Dad and I climbed into our hideous brown and green station wagon and began the long drive to Waterville, Maine.

As I listened to Dad go on and on about what a "life changing experience" this would be, I turned my face, praying that he wouldn't see my rolling eyes. After a drive that was much too long, we pulled into a wooded area where a large sign announced our arrival:

WELCOME TO CAMP FIREWOOD, WATERVILLE, MAINE.

Immediately my stomach began to churn at the thought of spending an entire summer here.

Like Bianca had said; three months of pure misery. Camp Firewood wasn't anything like I thought it would be. To be honest, it was a little run down and I began to wonder if her comparison to a concentration camp wasn't that far off.

"Well, here we are. "Dad said in a tone that was much too happy. "See, look at that!" He pointed out the window. "Those kids look so excited to be here, don't they?"

I sighed deeply. "Sure, Dad."

We pulled into a parking space under a cluster of trees and climbed out of the car.

My luggage in hand, I stared at Dad while he practically gave me the history of Camp Firewood, along with a recap of his lecture about how rewarding my time here would be.

Suddenly I couldn't wait to join the other kids. Oh, not because his lecture had somehow sparked an interest in Camp Firewood, but because I was just tired of hearing about it.

My chance to escape came when I noticed that the parents were driving away.

"Dad, I'd better go. I don't want to miss orientation."

"All right. Well, have a wonderful time Honey. See you in August."

When he pulled me into a bear hug, I cringed, realizing how far away August really was.

As I watched the station wagon leave the parking lot, I could feel tears spring to my eyes; tears that I quickly brushed away. What kind of dweeb cries when their father leaves them at camp?

If someone saw me, I'd be the laughing stock of Camp Firewood. And I haven't even met the camp director yet. But believe me, I was not looking foreword to meeting some lame camp counselor who was probably ancient. And the counselors were probably older than that.

The mere thought made me shudder.

"All right, kids! Everyone gather around!"

At the sound of the woman's voice, the chatter grew louder. A woman who was about my mom's age got onto her soapbox (and I mean that literally-she was so short that in order to tower above us, she stood on a wooden soap box!), and with a bullhorn in hand, began our orientation.

"I'm Virginia Pruitt, and I'm the owner of Camp Firewood. For those of you who are returning for another summer of fun, welcome back. And for those of you who are here for the first time, you're in for the experience of your life. Isn't that right?"

A burst of scattered cheers and applause could be heard around me; probably from the dweebs that came here year after year because they had no life.

Suddenly I had a horrible thought...

Soon I'd be a dweeb too! God knows that my parents would take advantage of the fact that they could send me back here year after year.

The only comfort was that in three years I'd be in college-or touring Europe (my own personal dream, but I didn't dare tell my parents. I'd never hear the end of it.) and I'd never have to see Camp Firewood again.

When I heard more applause, I looked up; realizing that I'd missed Virginia's entire speech. But judging from the looks of the bored campers, I hadn't missed much.


	5. Chapter 5

"And now I'd like to introduce you to our camp director... Beth."

There was an enthusiastic round of applause and cheers as the petite dark haired woman climbed on the soap box, smiling and waving her arms as though she'd just won a gold medal at the Olympics.

This was the camp director? She couldn't have been more than 28.

So much for stereotyping.

"Hi!" she said when the applause died down. "I'm Beth and-."

Her next thought was interrupted by more cheers and even cat calls, reminding me of the fact that I was doomed to be surrounded by immature boys for an entire summer.

"I see some familiar faces in the crowd, so welcome back. As you all know, Camp Firewood has hosted campers for ten years now; 1980 being one of the best."

This, of course, brought even more cheers from who I guessed were last year's campers.

Then, just like President Regan, she stood on the soapbox and pointed to the crowd.

"But I promise you, I'll make 1981 the most incredible summer of your lives, whether this is your first time at camp or not."

The applause was so enthusiastic; I had to cover my ears.

"And now I want to introduce the counselors who will help make my dream of giving you the best summer of your lives a reality."

And of course more cheers and applause.

"Standing behind me are the people you'll be spending a lot of time with, so let's be sure and give them a warm reception."

A group of adults (many who looked as though they were younger than Beth!) stood in a line as though they were prisoners in a lineup. I couldn't help but smile at the irony.

This camp was starting to feel like a prison.

"All right, starting from my left, we have Gerald, Kate, McKinley, Gary, Andy, Gene, Gail, Susie... and last but certainly not least...Henry."

Just as I suspected, the applause was far less enthusiastic. I surveyed the line of adults. They looked friendly enough but as I knew all too well, looks could be deceiving.

"Okay, now I'm going to give out the cabin assignments."

She read the names one by one, which seemed to take forever. But it gave me plenty of time to figure out how I was going to survive an entire summer in this place.

First of all, it was unbearably hot. Even with my shorts and t-shirt, I was roasting. I had a sinking feeling that the cabins weren't equipped with air-conditioning either.

I watched as the girls were called one by one; some of them screaming with delight when they realized they were going to be cabin mates.

I could just hear my mother's voice inside my head, prompting me to meet as many people as possible. She's said time and again that I need to find more friends. Like having a best friend in Bianca isn't enough?

Besides most of the kids at school wouldn't even give me the time of day, much less have any sort of conversation with me.

Well it definitely made it easier to take Bianca's advice and ignore everyone. I was pretty sure that no one would notice my presence anyway.


	6. Chapter 6

"Hey, I'm talking to you!"

Startled out of my thoughts, I looked up to find Beth glaring at me.

"You Melissa Sherwood?"

I swallowed hard. Camp had barely started and I was already in trouble.

Story of my life.

"Um... Yeah. I'm Melissa."

Beth flipped through her paperwork.

"Good. You'll be with Henry."

I blinked in confusion. "Who?"

She pointed to a man who was staring at a tall lodge pole pine. What he found so interesting about it was beyond me. But then again... nothing about this camp seemed to be interesting.

"Henry Newman. HEY HENRY!" she yelled; the sound resonating in my ears.

He turned around in surprise.

"Yeah?"

"Got a stray here for you."

I glared at her in disgust. How dare she treat me like some... animal! I didn't even treat my golden retriever Eddie that way!

Obviously clueless, Henry headed in our direction. Amazingly as soon as he reached us, Beth's glare turned into a smile. Talk about a suck-up!

"Henry, this is..."

"Melissa Sherwood." I finished. Geez, Beth was as clueless as Henry!

"Melissa is one of your campers."

Henry's face brightened. "Well! It's nice to meet you, Melissa Sherwood."

I shook his hand, returning his smile, which somehow made me feel a little better. But not much.

"You too." I said as unenthusiastically as possible.

I looked him up and down, trying not to cringe at his appearance. He looked like something out of a nerd convention; blond hair, wire rimmed glasses, a long sleeved plaid shirt, khaki shorts and a mustache. Yeah... a real winner for sure.

He made Brett look even foxier than he already was... and I didn't think that was possible!

This was sure to be an interesting summer.

I glanced over at Beth, taking in her appearance for the first time. She wore a hideous blouse that looked like it came straight out of the sixties. This woman was in serious need of a fashion makeover!

But even so, people liked her. Why, I had no idea. Well even if they liked her, it certainly didn't mean I had to like her.

"Well... shall I show you to your cabin?"

I looked up, suddenly aware that Henry was talking to me.

"Um... sure, whatever."

He led me through a group of trees until we came to a run down cabin that looked like it was about, none of which looked inviting in the least.

"Well, here it is... your home for the summer."

I stared at the cabin, which was without a doubt the ugliest building I'd ever seen; dark brown paint on the outside and hideous wood paneling on the inside.

I felt like I'd stepped back in time... to a really bad time.

"Aren't you going to have a look around?" Henry was asking.

Eventually.

But I wanted to remain sane for as long as possible. I could see that just a few days in this prison like cabin would be enough to make me crazy.


	7. Chapter 7

Reluctantly I followed him through the front door, cringing slightly at the run down appearance.

The single beds were lined up against the walls in a neat row and I found myself thinking that somehow I had landed in a boot camp instead of summer camp.

But I'm sure I wasn't far off.

It wouldn't surprise me if Beth was really a drill sergeant in training.

"All right, well I guess you should meet your cabin mates." Henry said, pointing to a group of girls who were busy doing everything but paying attention to him; reading letters, laughing, talking... and whispering.

I wasn't stupid. I knew right away that those whispers and stares were meant for me.

"Girls, this is Melissa Sherwood." Henry said. When he put his hand on my back and guided me toward them, I jumped in surprise.

He rattled off some names, none of which I paid much attention to.

"This is Rhonda, Alice, Rebecca, Margaret, Janie and Jessica"

In an attempt to be friendly, I extended my hand and gave them an uninterested smile.

"How's it going?" One of them (Rebecca I guess) asked.

"Fine." I said, trying to hide my annoyance. I was totally not in the mood to meet anyone. This was completely lame.

To my dismay, another girl (whose name I'd instantly forgotten) came up to me, despite my best efforts to ignore her.

"I'm Janie!" She said a little too brightly.

I smiled out of pure obligation, but at that moment I would have rather watched grass grow.

But judging from the looks of the dismal looking yard that I could see through the window, this was proving to be my best option.

"I'm Melissa." I finally said. Unfortunately this started her rambling on and on about her life.

Like I really cared.

"Okay, campers, It's chow time!" Beth's scratchy voice yelled through the loudspeakers that were hung in the trees just outside our cabin.

My cabin mates rushed past me, nearly knocking me over in the process. Geez, you'd think that they were going to a gourmet restaurant.

Little did they know...

Not that I'd ever tried Camp Firewood's food, but all camp food was the same... horrible!

Finally I smiled, having found myself alone for once since I'd gotten here. It was the perfect opportunity to have some peace and quiet before the stampede returned.

I shuddered, realizing that this precious moment of tranquility might be the only chance I'd have to enjoy what was shaping up to be a truly awful summer.


	8. Chapter 8

Dear Bianca,

Hello from Camp Firewood... also known as hell!

I guess I don't have to tell you how much I hate it here. It's been only a month and I'm completely miserable.

I'm sure Mom and Dad will say that I'll thank them for sending me here when I'm older. But right now, I don't see how that's possible.

My camp mates seem nice enough but considering how little I talk to them, I really can't say for sure.

And don't get me started on the camp counselors. They're awful! Always being way too cheerful and acting like being here is the whole reason for their existence.

How lame.

The camp director, Beth is soooo annoying! She pretends to like me, but I can see that she doesn't. Not that I want her to. Gag me with a spoon! And her clothes make me want to hurl! She looks like a reject from the 1970's with her oily black hair and pale skin.

Like I want to relive THAT decade again! Once was bad enough! And the 1980's are looking just as bad so far!

Everybody's at dinner now, except for me. I'd rather die than eat camp food or be stuck at a table with these lame girls.

All they talk about is school! God, don't they know this is summer? Who wants to be reminded of school?

Unless we're talking about Brett of course. I'm SO jealous that you're at home spending all your time at the pool, although I wish you were here.

Gawd, Brett probably looks so foxy in his swim trunks. Who am I kidding? I KNOW he does! I've been thinking a lot about him since I got here (because let's face it, there's not a whole heck of a lot to do around this dump), and I've come to a huge decision.

I know I should have talked to you about it first, but it's not like I can pick up the phone and call.

Can you imagine what your phone bill would look like if I did that? Your parents would kill me! I mean, seriously when was the last time we actually had a normal conversation (normal meaning less than 30 minutes.)?

I can't wait until the day when I can get my own phone! Wouldn't that be cool to have like your own personal phone to carry around with you? Wow... That would be totally rad!

Oh gawd, there I go again, rambling on... Sorry, but my hand is shaking just writing this! And please don't have a cow when I you read what I'm about to say, all right?

I'm so tired of being so nervous every time I come near Brett, so I've decided that the minute I get home is go down to the pool and talk to him.

I can just hear you laughing, but I'm totally and completely serious! This is major, okay?

August seems so far away but at least I have two months before I have to face him and hopefully by then I'll be a lot more confident.

Good thing I brought a ton of Seventeen Magazines with me. They always have the most awesome tips for talking to boys.

It's funny that I never paid attention to those articles before. Not that I ever had a reason to.

Damn... I hear the 'girls' coming back from dinner. So much for peace and quiet. I guess I'd better say goodbye for now. I don't trust anyone around here and if they found this letter and started reading it, I'd die.

Oh, before I go, do you think I should French braid my hair before I go down to the pool? I was thinking of wearing my pink shirt with the plaid green sweater vest.

What do you think? Too much? I don't want to look like a geek! But I probably will anyway. If only I was gorgeous like the girls on the cheer-leading squad.

Write me back ASAP, okay? I want to hear everything and anything about Brett. I miss him so much even though he hardly knows that I exist.

Your best friend forever,

Melissa.


	9. Chapter 9

After hours of listening to the counselors go on and on about the importance of getting along with our camp mates, Henry decided that he wanted to give us a unique experience.

All that meant was that he took us deep into the woods and we sat in a circle around him while he showed us his "incredible invention."

It looked like some sort of lame science project! Seriously I didn't have a clue what he was talking about; much less what an astrophy-whatever was.

He droned on and on, apparently not noticing that I couldn't have cared less about what he was talking about.

All I could think about was how I wished I was somewhere else... like with Brett.

Yeah, I know... I'll just keep dreaming.

Finally... mercifully... he finished and I applauded along with everyone else, only because I was so glad that he finally shut up. Well that and I didn't want to look lame. Not that I cared an ounce what these losers thought of me.

"All right troops, chow time is at precisely 1200 hours, so move it!"

I rolled my eyes at his lame attempt at humor and prayed that I wouldn't be subjected to his so called comedy act all summer long.  
At this rate, I'd go insane before the fourth of July.

A group of campers rushed past me, eager to eat what Camp Firewood thought of as edible food. Ugh... I'd rather eat firewood!

I decided to go back to the cabin to get some peace and quiet but my stomach had other ideas.

Reluctantly, I chose to go to the cafeteria that looked worse than the cabin I was forced to remain a prisoner in.

After filling my tray with stuff that looked only about halfway edible, I found a seat at the furthest table I could find. Hopefully this would give people the hint that I wanted to be left alone.

Miraculously it seemed to be working. Kids and counselors walked right past me, not even bothering to look in my direction.

Maybe people weren't as dense as I thought.

"Mind if I join you?"

Or maybe they were even more so.


	10. Chapter 10

Without waiting for an answer, Henry sat down across from me and smiled as he put his tray on the table.

"Do you always eat by yourself?"

I shrugged. "I try to. Doesn't seem to be working though."

"Well come to think of it, you're not eating. Anything wrong?"

When I glared at him, he seemed to get the hint, but I wasn't going to hold my breath.

I could tell that this conversation was going to last much longer than I thought.

Although the way this summer was starting out, I shouldn't have been surprised.

"So..." said Henry as he flashed me an even bigger smile. "Do you live in Maine?"

I scoffed. "Well, yeah, of course!" But when I caught a glimpse of his hurt expression, I realized that my tone had been a lot harsher than I intended and I softened a bit.

"I-I mean, yeah. I-I'm from Augusta."

He nodded. "Augusta, huh? Nice place."

I shrugged and pushed the food around on my plate. "I guess. It gets kind of boring sometimes."

"And your family?"

"Well, I have a mom and a dad and a younger brother, Spence."

At this, Henry's eyes lit up.

"You have a younger brother, too? Boy they can be-."

"Such a pain."

I blinked in surprised when we said the same words at the same time!

Totally weird...

"How old is Spence?"

"He's eight."

"Eight, huh?"

Why was this guy repeating everything I was saying? God, it was totally annoying!

"Mind if I ask how old you are?"

"I'm surprised that you don't have all that information stored away in some huge notebook or something."

Once again he laughed. "Yeah, it would seem that way, but when it comes to campers, until we get to know you, we're not that intelligent."

Tell me about it... I muttered.

"Pardon me?"

I blushed deeply. "I-I said... um... I'm seventeen."

"Ah..."

"So what about you? I mean, this camp stuff can't be like your whole exisistance. Aren't you like an astro-something or another?"

Why I cared about anything in this guy's personal life, I have no idea, but for some reason I couldn't help myself.

"Actually when I'm not working as a camp counselor, I'm an astrophysicist." He said with a chuckle.

I blinked in surprise and feigned excitement. "Whoa, that's rad! Like stars and stuff?"

"Exactly. Say, the sky is perfect tonight for catching a glimpse of the Milky Way. It's truly a beautiful sight. I'd be happy to show it to you, if you'd like."

"Well... okay."

"Great! How about after we have our evening camp songs?"

"Sure."

It wasn't like I had anything to do anyway. Except maybe sit in my cabin, bored to tears.

Henry rose from the table and picked up his tray. "Well, I guess I've bothered you enough for one afternoon, so I'll see you around?"

I found myself smiling as I nodded in agreement and watched him walk away.

Well this is weird...

Perhaps astrophysicist-turned-camp-counselor Henry Newman wasn't as bad as I thought.


	11. Chapter 11

"MAIL CALL!"

The sound of Beth's scratchy voice was like fingernails on a chalkboard and I cringed at the way it thundered across the campground loudspeakers.

The woman definitely did NOT need a loudspeaker to amplify her voice.

The mere thought made me cringe.

One by one the camper's names were called out, followed by ear-piercing screams from lame girls who ran up to Beth and hugged her fiercely.

Geez, you'd think that they'd never gotten a letter before.

"SHERWOOD, MELISSA!"

I blinked, startled out of my thoughts when I realized that my name was being called. Then I blindly pushed my way through the crowd of campers, trying to ignore the sound of my name being chanted over and over.

It was like I was going to an execution, although I had a gut feeling that this scenario was much worse.

I reached Beth and glanced at her; my heart pounding in my chest. She didn't give me a second thought; just shuffled through the pile of letter sand handed me two envelopes.

I didn't have to look at the first one to know that it was from Mom. The last thing I needed right then was to be reminded of the dismal life I was missing at home. I loved Mom and all, but I just wasn't in the mood. I'd open it later.

Excitedly, I looked at the second envelope, knowing it was from Bianca. This was the letter I'd been waiting for.

Without even waiting to be excused from mail call, I turned and made my way back to the cabin, relieved when I saw that no one was around.

It was dreadfully hot, so opened my suitcase and grabbed my swimsuit, a pair of cut-offs and my tank top. I might as well make myself comfortable.

Once I was changed, I sat on my bed and tore open Bianca's letter eager to read what she had to say.


	12. Chapter 12

Dear Melissa,

I was so happy to get your letter! It's been so totally boring without you here! Even going to the pool is no longer fun alone! I mean, it's not like any of the guys around here would even notice me.

Not that I want them to anyway. Ugh...  
Why is it that I seem to be a nerd magnet while the foxy guys seem to think that I'm invisible? Story of my life, I guess.

I've seen your mom and dad around a few times and when I ask about you, they always say the same thing; "She's having the time of her life!" Parents always say stuff like that.

Geez, how can they be so lame? I bet my dad said the same thing when you asked about me. Thank God I wasn't subjected to that this year.

But I shouldn't be complaining. Being bored here is nothing compared to what you're going through.

Wow, camp is worse than I thought! Beth seems like a real winner! I'm sure you do your best to ignore her but it's probably hard. I mean she is the camp director, right? I don't even want to think about what she looks like in those clothes you described. Probably worse than my mom did when she wore stuff like that!

And Henry... Oh my God... he sounds like a total nerd bomber! So lame that you have him for a counselor!

Too bad they didn't put you with a foxy camp counselor; if they have any there.

There has to be one guy there that you like, so when you find him, write me and tell me all about him! Then maybe I'll get my dad to let me go next year and at least we can be together!

Well, I'm totally beating around the bush here but there's something I need to tell you, Mel. Trust me this is MAJOR. I have no idea how to tell you, so I'll just come out and say it.

I mean, you're going to find out when you get back to school anyway.

First of all, believe me when I say that it's totally awesome that you want to talk to Brett and all and no, I'm not mad that you didn't tell me all about it before.

But Melissa? Oh God... this is so hard to write. My hand is shaking.

I know it's mid-July and technically things could change by August, but I don't really see that happening.

Melissa...

Brett is going steady with Stacy Abbott. I swear to God it's true. I've seen them together at the pool every day and at first I thought she was just flirting with him but then they started to make out in front of people... a LOT.

To be honest, it makes me want to barf just thinking about it, but I also can't help thinking how much this is going to hurt you when you hear about this.

Please don't hate me, okay? You're my best friend and I LYLAS (that's Love You Like A Sis in case that horrible camp food has clouded your memory!), and it hurts me to tell you but I didn't want you to find out any other way.

Can't wait till you get home!

Friends Forever,

Bianca


	13. Chapter 13

For a moment I couldn't breathe.

I stared at the page, reading the words over and over again until they combined into one big blur.

I tried not to think about what I'd just read; or that my whole reason for existence had just been taken away from me, but it was impossible.

I closed my eyes, as if by doing so would make this nightmare untrue.

But when I opened my eyes, the words were still there, glaring at me in that swirly handwriting in purple ink.

I kept telling myself that it didn't matter... But it did. It mattered a lot.

Suddenly my chest hurt so badly that I thought it might explode. Was I having a heart attack? Was that even possible in kids my age?

Hot tears filled my eyes; angry, disappointed tears that blurred when I blinked.

I folded the letter and put it in a crevice deep in my suitcase; somewhere that no dweeby, nerdy camper would even think to look.

My hands shook as I searched for my Keds and shoved them onto my feet. I couldn't be here right now. I wanted to run... as far away from this place as possible.

Swallowing hard, I walked out of the cabin and without even caring if anyone was looking, I took off running. I ran as fast as I could, ignoring the stares of other campers.

I didn't slow down once. Not even when I saw the lake; it's crystal blue water rippling in the hot sun... inviting me in.

I ran onto the long wooden dock until I reached the edge...

And jumped.


	14. Chapter 14

It was several seconds before I remembered that I couldn't swim. I sank lower and lower into the water; my arms above my head, and I felt so free... like nothing could hurt me.

In the water I was far away from everything and anyone; this stupid camp, the counselors... and Brett, who had unwittingly broken my heart in two.

As hard as I could, I pushed my way to the surface, gasping in huge breaths when I finally broke though the water and saw sunlight.

But then I had to struggle to stay afloat and suddenly I was terrified.

I began to sink lower and lower in the water making it almost impossible to move my arms.

I thrashed around, unable to breathe. Until that moment, I didn't know what the word terrified meant, and was pretty sure it was impossible to cry underwater, but I was so wrong.

Water poured inside of me and I tried to cough but could barely even breathe.

I was more scared than I'd ever thought possible. Was I going to die?

Suddenly I felt someone grab my waist and I felt myself rising to the surface. I couldn't open my eyes, but I could tell that the light had gotten brighter.

I could hear panic-stricken voices as though something had happened.

Was I dead? Was I dreaming?

This was not the way I expected my life to end.

After all, I was only seventeen.

And that was much too young to die.


	15. Chapter 15

Not... breathing... Try again... Not working... Dear God... Call ... ambulance... so young...

The words echoed around me and I wasn't sure if I was really hearing them or imagining them but somehow I found them comforting.

I could feel something warm covering my mouth, accompanied by a burst of air. It happened again and again until suddenly I began to cough.

I felt someone push me foreword and water began to gush from my mouth I could feel fingers on my face and a faint, soothing voice...

Dear God, she's trembling. Get me some towels, now!

But I just couldn't place the voice. I felt a slight push on my back as I coughed up even more water.

Thank God, she's breathing...

That voice... it was so soothing... so caring... and so familiar...

Slowly I opened my eyes. The image was blurry but I could hear the person talking to me; and suddenly the face before me came into full view...

Henry...


	16. Chapter 16

I stared at his wire-rimmed glasses, wondering why he was soaking wet.

"Wh-what happened?" I managed to say.

He ran his hand through his blonde hair. "I was actually hoping that you could tell me."

When I tried to stand, my legs were incredibly wobbly and when a wave of dizziness came over me, I literally collapsed into his strong arms.

"Easy there." He said with a chuckle as he guided me over to a wooden bench that sat on the deck.

"Be careful, okay. Don't try to do anything strenuous right now. You've had a pretty good scare. Or at least I have. I thought... we lost you for a minute there. Dear God..."

He put his hand over his eyes and sat silently for a long time.

I stared at him, unable to believe what I was seeing. Henry Newman... astrophy-whatever he was... counselor... adult... was... crying?

"Henry? Are you all right?"

He nodded, as though unable to speak and suddenly I was worried.

"Henry?"

"Um... Here..." he said draping another towel around my shoulders and rubbing vigorously.

"T-thanks." I said, shivering from the cold. "I-I'm sorry. I-I didn't mean to scare you."

"Well, I haven't lost a camper yet, so..."

He was trying desperately to bring some humor into the situation but we both knew that what I had done... so stupidly... was anything but funny.

"Okay, let's... get you all dried off and... um... I had someone bring you some dry clothes."

"Why are you all wet?"

"Well if I weren't... you wouldn't be here now."

I was completely floored. "Y-You mean..."

"Look, don't worry about it, okay?" He said; his face turning a light shade of pink. "I just did what anyone would have done."

He had saved my life... I couldn't believe it. This man... the man with whom I had been completely and totally annoyed with... Had saved my life.

"W-why would you do that?"

"Well... because as your counselor, I'm responsible for your well-being."

I nodded. "I guess you get some kind of bonus for saving lives, right?"

"Well no... But they do teach us CPR for a reason." He explained.

"So that you can save lame kids who do stupid things, huh? Well, you really didn't need to bother. In fact, you pretty much wasted your time."

"I don't think it was a waste of time at all." Henry said.

"Yeah, right. Then why did you do it?"

"Because I care about you."

My insides warmed at the words, but I wasn't about to let him see the smile that I was desperately trying to hide.

"Y-you said you had some dry clothes?" I asked, suddenly feeling shy.

"Yeah, right over there. You can get dressed in the bathroom. I'll be right here."

"O-okay."

I stood, feeling a bit wobbly and slowly walked to the other bench where a pile of my clothes lay. I prayed, grateful that I had hidden that horrible letter where no one could find it.

I'd be humiliated if anyone ever read it.

Trying to forget about it, I grabbed my clothes and ran into the bathroom to change. My hands were shaking as I pulled on an old Augusta High School Fighting Lions shirt and a pair of shorts along with some matching blue socks.

Wow... whoever was going through my clothes actually had fashion sense. And I'm guessing it wasn't Beth.

Slowly I made my way back over to the bench where, true to his word, Henry still sat staring out at the lake.

I sat down beside him and for the longest time neither of us said a word. We just watched the birds flying and the kids playing on a far side of the lake. This was the place where I'd almost drowned.

I glanced at Henry, wanting to say something... anything. But I had no idea what to say. I mean, how would I even begin to thank them properly?

But when I thought about what he'd done for me, I figured there was only one place to start.

I turned to Henry and grinned.

When he turned to face me, I quickly looked down at the Keds on my feet, which were self-consciously swinging back and forth.

Finally I looked at him and smiled.

"Henry? Can I tell you something?"

"Sure."

I hesitated a moment before answering. "Thank you."

He returned my smile and draped his arm around my shoulders. "You're welcome, Melissa. Now, do you want to tell me why you scared me half to death by jumping into a lake if you can't swim?"

I wanted to say something sarcastic... or funny even...

But when I looked at his smile and saw the concern in his eyes, I opened my mouth to speak...

And promptly burst into tears.


	17. Chapter 17

He drew me close and I cried against his plaid shirt; aware of the comforting way his hand moved up and down my arm. I found that once I started crying, I couldn't stop.

I cried for all the stress I'd gone through at school, all the times my parents had made me feel small, for having to spend my summer here instead of at home with my friends.

Well... friend... I cried for that too.

What kind of loser only has one friend?

But most of all, I cried for Brett.

Henry rubbed my back and my arm, whispering soothing words.

"I know... it's scary to want something so badly and then find out that you can't have it."

I raised my head and looked at him in amazement. Was I hearing him correctly?

"Why does it hurt so much?" I cried into his shirt.

"Well, swimming isn't easy, but you were smart to call for help."

"I wasn't trying to swim!" I yelled, louder than I meant to. "I could care less about that stupid lake and this stupid camp! I just..."

I moved away from him and started to cry again.

"I just wish someone would find me attractive, you know?" I finally said. "Like Brett."

Now I was crying so hard, my insides hurt.

He nodded knowingly, although I was pretty sure he was just faking it. He couldn't possibly understand.

No one did. Not even Bianca and she was my best friend.

"Well, maybe I don't understand but I'm a pretty good listener."

I blinked, realizing that I must have spoken out loud.

"I-it's okay." I sniffled. "I'll live. It's stupid to be crying about this anyway."

"No it's not." He said, causing me to turn my head in surprise.

"He sighed before speaking again. "If you love somebody and they don't love you in return... Well... it hurts."

"Yeah, it does." I said as my voice broke again. "It hurts a lot." And it's worse when the person doesn't know that you exist."

When I started to cry again, he pulled me closer, letting me cry onto his shirt once more.

To everyone around us, I'm sure we were a pretty pathetic sight.

But to me, it was a sign that someone finally cared.


	18. Chapter 18

"Are you going to be okay?" Henry asked when I somehow managed to calm, down.

"Um, yeah." I said, suddenly embarrassed about making a complete fool out of myself. I rose from the bench. "I should go."

"Hey, wait a minute." He said grabbing my hand as I tried to leave.

I sighed and turned to him, praying that no one was watching.

"What?"

The word came out abruptly, but I figured he was used to my rudeness by now; however unintentional.

"Are you sure you don't want to talk about it?"

"I'm fine!" I snapped.

There was an uncomfortable silence before he spoke again.

"This Brett... is he someone from school?"

By now I was beyond irritated. What was I thinking, confiding in this guy? It was humiliating enough just being at this stupid camp, but telling my secrets to some loser camp counselor? That was even worse.

"Melissa?"

I blinked, suddenly remembering that he had been speaking to me.

"Oh... Yeah. Brett goes to my school but it's no big deal." I lied.

"Seemed like a pretty big deal to me."

"Look, I really need to go." I said before he had a chance to reply.

Clearly I had disappointed him.

"Well, try to have a good afternoon. And I meant what I said earlier. I'm a pretty good listener if you..."

"Yeah. Bye Henry."

I turned and quickly walked away, trying to hide my annoyance. I knew I was being horribly rude, but what was I supposed to do? I hated camp; I hated Bianca for telling me about Brett, and most of all I hated Brett for being with Stacy Abbot instead of me. But considering that Brett was pretty much oblivious to my presence, it didn't even matter.

As I reached the cabin, I stopped suddenly as a wave of guilt came over me. And like a force over my body that I just couldn't ignore, I turned and walked back to the dock; my heart racing beneath my chest.

What was I doing?

I tried to stop and turn around but I just couldn't. When I reached the dock, I saw him, still sitting in the same spot; on the bench, staring out at the lake.

What a pathetic sight.

Funny to think that Henry and I finally had something in common.

I should have gone back to my cabin but I kept walking. I moved closer and closer until I was so close that I could see the streaks of blonde in his already blonde hair; no doubt caused by the Maine summer sun.

By this time my heart felt as though it would explode, and with a trembling hand, I reached out and touched his back.

Instantly he turned around and then rose to his feet in surprise. The sight of him caused a flash of terror to run through my body.

What was I supposed to say to him? I couldn't very well say I was sorry. There were hardly enough words to cover how horrible I had been to him since we met.

And the concern on his face made me feel even worse.

"Melissa. Is something wrong?"

Before I realized what I was doing, I threw my arms around him, and hugged him, resting my head against his chest.

"Thank you, Henry."


	19. Chapter 19

"Okay Girls! Lights out!"

I cringed at camp counselor Gail's shrill voice.

The woman had all but taken over our cabin in the last few days and it was becoming annoying.

Still I was grateful to hear the words lights out because it meant that camp was that much closer to being over.

August 18th could not come fast enough in my opinion.

As I settled myself into the unbelievably uncomfortable bed, I laid there in the darkness unable to sleep.

But even so, I was exhausted. Weird, considering that I hadn't participated in one activity since I'd arrived at Camp Firewood. I knew my parents would be furious if they found out.

After all, my father had reminded me plenty of times about how it was such a privilege to attend this camp and how he'd gone out of his way to give me this experience.

Sometime during the night I drifted off to sleep, but my dreams weren't off Brett or Bianca-or even of being back at home.

Instead, my mind was filled with images of Henry. He was smiling, wearing his ridiculous plaid shirt, shorts and those God-awful wire-rimmed glasses.

I tossed and turned, unable to get him out of my head. Even when I opened my eyes, I could still picture him. He was holding me, whispering soothing words as I cried on his shoulder, even though he didn't have a clue what I'd been crying about.

"Breakfast Girls!"

Gail's shrill voice woke me from a dream... One that made my heart warm and I was sure that I'd been smiling in my sleep.

Now all I longed for was to have that wonderful dream back. . Of course I could no longer remember what the dream was about. But I remembered all too well whom I'd been dreaming about.

Fully dressed, I ran to the cafeteria, wondering why I was so eager to eat what was sure to be a dismal breakfast. I went inside, pushing my way past some other kids, not caring about the looks they gave me.

Once I got my tray of food, I looked around the cafeteria. Only this time instead of looking for an empty table, I found myself looking for Henry.

Of course the one and only time I actually wanted to see him, he was nowhere to be found.

Story of my life.

With a sigh I sat down at the empty table in the corner and attempted to eat my breakfast, cringing with every bite.

"Want some company?"

At the familiar voice, I got a totally weird feeling in my chest and looked up.

Henry stood before me and smiled, which only made the feeling in my chest grow. He wasn't wearing that plaid shirt either. Instead he wore a blue IZOD shirt with a green alligator on it. On most guys it would be totally preppy but on Henry it looked nice. Of course anything would look nice on him next to that horrible plaid shirt, but I wasn't about to tell him that. Almost unaware of what I was doing, I stared at him, amazed at how the color of the shirt brought out his eyes.

I couldn't believe how blue they were.

And then I couldn't believe that I'd even notice them at all.

He looked around nervously.

"If you'd rather be alone-."

"NO!" I yelled; humiliated when people around me stopped talking and looked in our direction. Daringly I looked back at Henry and laughed nervously.

"I-I mean... S-sure."

"Great! I'm starved."

I looked at him in amazement. "You're not really going to eat that are you?"

He glanced at his tray and then smiled. "No, I guess not."

"That's probably a good idea." I agreed. "Think anyone would notice if we snuck out of camp and went to Dunkin Donuts?"

Amazingly he laughed and so did I.

Something was definitely happening.

For the next few days, I couldn't do anything without picturing Henry's face. And whenever I saw him in person, I couldn't ignore the way my heart would do a somersault in my chest.

That sounds so lame, but it was the same feeling that I used to get when I'd think of Brett.

And the reality of that made me shudder at what I thought would never happen.

I was in love with Henry.

And oddly enough it didn't bother me at all.


	20. Chapter 20

After that, things grew worse. I couldn't stop thinking about Henry, no matter how hard I tried and I made every excuse possible to see him; even going so far as to rush my parents and Spencer through Family Weekend.

Of course my mother was hurt that her daughter didn't seem excited to see her own mother but my dad reassured her that I was simply enjoying camp too much.

Yeah, right.

If only they knew that I was in love with a much older man.

Well, he wasn't that much older. He was probably in his mid-thirties which meant hat our age difference might seem like a lot but I'd done the math in my head (many times in fact), and within a few years it won't seem like a big deal.

My mother was forever asking me if there are any cute boys at camp and when I'd tell her that I was only interested in Brett, she'd sigh and tell me to 'expand my horizons' and that I 'shouldn't limit myself to one boy.' Apparently she hadn't gotten the message that Brett had no idea of my existence and that pretty much went for every boy on the planet.

So there was no way I'd ever tell her about Henry. In fact, I did everything in my power to keep Mom, Dad and Spencer from meeting Henry.

It was easy for the most part because Henry spent the majority of the weekend entertaining the nerdy kids and their even more nerdy parents with his knowledge of astrophysics.

It wasn't that I was embarrassed by him (although I know I was back in June when I first arrived at Camp Firewood), but it's almost August now and... Well... I'm in love with Henry.

However, I know exactly what would have happened had I introduced him to my mom. I was sure she'd be able to tell right away that I loved him and I knew exactly what she'd say;

"Melissa, you can't possibly know what love feels like." and "What are you thinking, even looking at a man who is twice your age?"

So it was best to keep it to myself, but it wasn't easy because I was dying to tell someone.

So I told Bianca when my dad allowed me to call her from camp. I was so excited that I could hardly get the words out and I waited rather impatiently for her reaction, which I was sure would be as enthusiastic as mine.

But I was wrong.

Not only was her reaction a complete surprise, but it was very similar to what my mother's would be! It seems that in my absence, she and my mother had become best friends.

I hung up the phone feeling worse than ever.


	21. Chapter 21

I walked around Camp Firewood by myself, almost wishing that I'd never met Bianca. Some best friend she'd turned out to be. I thought best friends were supposed to be supportive.

I was always enthusiastic when she talked about her crushes. Or at least I pretended to be supportive. I mean it's only fair considering that I bombarded her with stories of Brett for what seemed like forever.

But I guess when the object of your affection is a man, it's different.

Well, it wasn't different to me. I felt the same thing for Henry that I felt for Brett. And the only real influence is that Henry cared about me. Or at least I hoped he did. If he didn't, he had a bogus way of showing it.

"Whoa!"

I gasped slightly shaken when I realized that my face was in someone's chest.

I looked up horrified when I realized that I had run into Henry. And I mean that literally.

"Oh God, I'm sorry." I said. "I-." My heart flipped, causing me to forget what I was going to say.

"It's okay. I didn't' hurt you did I?"

I stared into his deep blue eyes, pulled in by their softness.

"You could never-Um... I mean... No I'm fine. It was totally my fault. Stupid me, huh?"

"Actually I think you're pretty smart."

I felt the heat rising in my cheeks. "Thanks."

"You looked like you were deep in thought." He said. "Something on your mind?"

I sighed remembering the way Bianca had had a huge cow when I told her about Henry.

"Just my best friend... or ex-best friend." I blurted out.

"Want to talk about it?"

I'd love to... I thought but my mouth wouldn't move.

Henry smiled and nudged my arm.

"Come on; let's go sit on our favorite bench and talk."

Our bench...

Just hearing those words made me feel as though I could fly.


	22. Chapter 22

"So what's on your mind?" Henry asked.

You... I wanted to say, but I didn't dare.

Instead I played dumb. Although it wasn't much of a stretch.

"Um..."

"It sounds like you had a fight with your friend."

"Not exactly. I just-."

I swallowed hard, wanting so much to tell him but knowing that the consequences of pouring out my feelings would be severe. Especially after the way I'd treated him since I'd arrived at Camp Firewood.

"Is this about Brett?"

I stared at Henry, amazed that he remembered. I guess he was listening to me after all. And suddenly the words I'd wanted to say came pouring out.

"A-actually it's about someone else. Um... someone that I like... a-a lot."

This got his attention big-time.

"I-I told Bianca about him, since I tell her everything anyway, and I thought she'd be all excited and happy that I actually managed to find someone that I liked at this stupid camp, but-."

"She wasn't."

"She went ballistic!" I yelled; my heart racing when I remembered how angry Bianca had gotten. "She... told me that I was just imagining that this guy really likes me and that he's too old for me and couldn't possibly be attracted to me! I-I mean, she's right and all. I know he doesn't like me at all! He couldn't! I've been so rude to him ever since I got here, and I'm hardly ever like that at school! It's just that... well... I didn't want to come here anyway! My parents made me!"

"And you'd rather be spending the summer with your friends." Henry said.

"I don't have any friends!" I blurted out, not caring about my trembling voice or the tears streaming down my cheeks. "Not anymore."

"Melissa-."

Henry reached for me, but I pulled away and scrambled off of the bench. I could sense him standing behind me and when he moved closer, I turned away once more and stared out at the lake.

"I just want to be left alone, okay?" I yelled. "That's all I've ever wanted!"

It was the biggest lie I'd told yet. Because in reality, I wanted Henry... badly. Not in a gross, physical sort of way though. I just wanted him to hold me... and for him to love me the way I loved him.

He sighed and put his hand on my shoulder, almost forcing me to look at him.

"I don't know if this is any consolation or not, but I'm your friend."

I tried to smile but it came out in a sob and my wish came true when I found myself in his arms once more.

I leaned my head against his shoulder and cried into his shirt. And never in my life had I felt dumber than I did at that moment.

"I-I'm sorry."

My muffled voice sounded childlike against his shirt and the way he was rubbing my back was so comforting that I wanted to stay in his arms forever.


	23. Chapter 23

"It's all right." He said soothingly as he continued to rub my back. "Just let it out. I know it hurts. But I meant what I said. I am your friend."

I drew back and stared at him. I didn't want to be friends with Henry. I wanted more. So much more.

But it was a start anyway.

"Thanks. But you're my only friend, then." I said.

"I think you and Bianca have some things to work out." He said in that annoying camp counselor tone. Geez, he was an astrophysis-something, not a shrink!

There was a long silence and I knew that I should have just gone back to my cabin. But I stayed right where I was. And just when I thought the silence would go on forever, it was broken.

"So... This person you like-the one who's not Brett. He must be really special."

I looked into Henry's deep blue eyes. "He is."

"Tell me about him."

My eyes widened and I froze. That was the last thing I ever expected Henry to ask. And for a moment I felt like I couldn't breathe.

Could this be a sign telling me to tell him how I felt about him? I hadn't been able to speak one word to Brett in all the years that we'd been going to school together. So how in the heck was I supposed to tell Henry-a grown man, that I was in love with him? He'd think I was a total nerd!

"I-um... well..."

"I don't mean to interfere." He said with a smile. "It's just that I can see the way you light up when you mention him, so I just thought-."

"He-he doesn't know that I like him."

"Ah... Have you talked to him?"

This conversation was becoming more and more ironic by the second.

I swallowed hard. "I-I've talked to him lots of times. In fact, I talked to him earlier today. A-and yesterday and-."  
Right now... I added silently.

"Well... I think you should just talk to this guy. Tell him how you feel." Henry said.

"What if he thinks I'm some ridiculous jerk?"

"Melissa, you're very special and if he thinks you're anything less than wonderful, then he's just not worth it. You're a wonderful person and you have such a bright future."

As dweeby as it sounds, I had to hold back tears. But it was the first time someone had ever really believed in me and somehow I knew that he wasn't just saying those things to be nice.

He really did believe in me.

And then I did the unthinkable...

I hugged him.

"Thanks, Henry." I said tearfully.

He hugged me back and after several blissful seconds of holding each other, I drew back and boldly kissed his cheek before running back to my cabin.

When I looked over my shoulder, I could see him staring at me with his hand on his cheek. And I hoped and prayed that he was realizing that he loved me too.


	24. Chapter 24

I couldn't sleep no matter how hard I tried. And even the idea of sleeping was stupid. How could I possibly sleep when I couldn't get him out of my mind?

Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Henry's face; thought about how far our relationship had come in just a short time.

When I first came to Camp Firewood, I thought it reeked. And I was sure that Henry Newman was the biggest dweeb who ever existed.

In a way, I suppose he was, what with his plaid shirt, glasses, shorts, and that stupid jacket he was always wearing. It was summer! I mean, who dresses like that?

I wanted to hate him so badly and even more than that, I wanted him to hate me. It seemed to be working for a while.

I'm not a mean person but I treated him worse than I treated the lamest girl at Augusta High School.

God, I hated Cynthia Rymer! Just the sound of her name resonating inside my head was enough to make me want to hurl. She was the biggest... well, let's just say that she wasn't nice at all and she'd hated me since elementary school for reasons that are still unclear.

After years of enduring her threats and insults and enduring endless tears of humiliation, I gradually became bitter and harsh whenever I saw her. It's because of Cynthia Rymer that I became bitter and harsh, therefore releasing my anger on Henry.

I know I know... it makes no sense at all, but since when has high school ever made sense?

But even after I put Henry through; insulting his clothes, his job and even his character, it didn't seem to faze him. In fact it only made him treat me with even more kindness. What's the deal with that?

I suppose it makes sense in a way. I'm sure he was used to dealing with moronic kids like the entire population of Camp Firewood, so I suppose my treating him badly was nothing out of the ordinary. But still I didn't get it at all.

My mom was always telling me to "Be nice to everyone because if you don't you'll regret it."

I figured she was talking about people like Cynthia and people who would have an impact on my life like teachers and potential employers.

Henry wasn't anyone special, so what did it matter if I bagged on him? He was just a dweeby camp counselor and I didn't even want to be at his stupid camp in the first place. So what did I care if he hated my guts?

Turns out I cared a lot. And my mom was right. I hated myself for being so mean to him. If someone had treated me the way I had been treating him, I would have run away and never come back. As horrible as Cynthia was to me, it didn't even come close to what I had done.

In fact, I'm absolutely blown away by the fact that Henry didn't have that lame camp director Beth call my parents and have me sent home.

But don't think I didn't pray night and day for hat to happen. Sure I would have been in mondo trouble and I would have been grounded for eons but at least I would have been at home.

It wasn't that long ago that when I thought of Henry, I would feel myself becoming physically ill. But not anymore.

Now the thought of him sent my heart soaring in a million different directions and my mind in even more. Nothing disgusting or adult oriented, but thoughts like those I used to have about Brett. Having someone to love who loved me back was the most wonderful feeling in the world; even if it was only in my mind.

Never in a million years did I think this would happen; falling in love with a camp counselor. I meet this incredibly dweeby guy who not only saved my life when I nearly drowned but comforted me when no one else was around. And he was nicer to me than anyone has ever been.

I definitely didn't deserve it and I wish I could take back all of the horrible things about him. I know he'd never forgive me because he'd be stupid to. How would I even begin to apologize for being so stuck up and rude when in reality I was never that way? Just ask anyone-well, anyone who remembers me.

I had to make things right between Henry and I.

Suddenly I got the most awesome idea.

Tomorrow morning after breakfast I'd take him aside and tell him my deepest, darkest secret; that I loved him.

And with any luck he'd say that he loved me too.


	25. Chapter 25

I could hardly sleep that night. I mean seriously who could blame me? By the time 5:30am rolled around I'd given up all hope of even trying, therefore enduring yet another sleepless night. And the idea of eating breakfast was a joke. My stomach was so tied up in knots that whatever I ate definitely wasn't going to stay down very long.

I even contemplated skipping breakfast all together. But I knew that Henry would be there having breakfast in what we now affectionately called the "mess hall", so of course I had to at least make an appearance.

How else was I going to commence with my plan?

As quietly as possible, I climbed out of bed and snuck into the bathroom, snagging the shower before anyone else was even awake. I hated to turn on the light for fear of waking anyone up but I found that if I kept the door closed and barely made a sound, no one would notice.

In record time I had showered, washed my hair and picked out the perfect outfit. Instead of my usual boring faded shorts and Augusta t-shirt, I pulled out my dressiest pair of shorts (a vivid lime green) and a matching shirt (white with big triangles in majorly bright colors; neon yellow, hot pink and electric blue with zig zag stripes in the same lime green color as my shorts). I have no idea what possessed me to pack something that I usually only reserved for wearing around Brett to get his attention (a lot of good that did.) to take to a stupid summer camp, but it must have been fate.

By the time my cabin mates were just barely getting up, I was already dressed and in the bathroom curling my hair. I finished it off with tons of hairspray because the hot Maine sun could be brutal when it came to hairstyles.

And I was not about to walk into the mess hall looking anything less than... well... totally awesome!

The closer it got to breakfast, the more nervous I became and suddenly I felt sick.

Oh God, please don't let me hurl... not here...not now.

After a few minutes I felt better although my chest was still tight. Just a few finishing touches; some Bonnie Bell lip gloss (strawberry) and some carefully applied blue eye shadow and I was ready to go.

I ran as fast as I could to the mess hall, but not too fast. I didn't want anything to ruin my appearance. And before I knew it I had arrived. The place was practically empty, with only a few tables occupied. I searched the hall until I found "our table"; the one where Henry first sat with me, back when he annoyed me to no end.

My heart was pounding in my chest and I forced myself to breathe through my nose to keep from getting sick. As casually as possible I strolled over to a chair and waited... and waited... and waited...

I waited so long that I began to have a million irrational thoughts. What if he went home? Or worse, what if something happened to him? I was totally on the verge of tears when I saw him walk in and once more my insides turned to jelly.

I couldn't take my eyes off of him as he walked in and greeted a few of the other camp counselors and then made his way to the food line. His tray in his hands, he began searching the mess hall for a place to eat and I had a hard time sitting perfectly still, praying that he would notice me on his own. But when he didn't, I waved in a very lame and extremely desperate attempt to get him to notice me.

Thank God it worked.

With a smile on his face, he headed toward me and the closer he came the more nervous I was. This was worse than when Rick Springfield did a mini concert at our local mall. Of course Bianca and I were one of the first ones there and we were standing close to him, we could almost touch him. It didn't work, but believe me we tried.

My mind drifted back to the present and the next thing I knew, Henry was standing right in front of me.

In one fluid motion, I rose to my feet holding onto the edge of the table to keep from fainting.

"H-Hi..." I stammered; suddenly terrified at the thought of speaking to a man that I'd spoken to every day since I'd arrived. How lame was that?

His eyes widened and he looked me up and down.

"WOW! Look at you!"

I blushed so deeply that I was sure I had steam coming off my face.

"What about me?"

It was a tacky answer, but I didn't want to appear snobbish, even though I knew I looked awesome. I swallowed hard when I saw him looking me up and down once more.

"You look great! Not that you don't always... well, you know what I mean. But wow..."

Okay, now I was sure that I was going to faint. I hope he remembered how to do CPR the way he had when I almost drowned!

"Thanks..."

"You have a date or something?"

I laughed and touched my hair, a nervous gesture that used to do whenever I tried to talk to Brett.

"Um, no... I just..."

"Well, you look very pretty."

Oh God, any moment I was going to totally pass out! The man I loved was actually telling me that I was pretty?

"Thank you..."

He smiled and gestured to the chair across from me. "May I?"

"Of course."

Wow... that was a far, far cry from how I'd reacted to that question just a few weeks before.

He sat down and began eating his breakfast but after only two bites, laid his fork down and stared at me with concern.

"Are you all right?"

"I-I'm fine."

"Where's your breakfast?"

I looked at the empty table in front of me. "Oh... I... I'm not very hungry."

He rose from the table and walked over to where I sat, putting his hand on my back.

"It's not good to skip breakfast. Are you sure you're all right?"

I started to say something but then I felt his hand on my cheek and the look of concern in his eyes almost made me want to cry.

"Melissa, you're burning up!"

"I'm fine, really."

But he was already out of his chair heading out the door. What was going on?

Minutes later he returned with a glass of water and some aspirin... and a bagel, which he sat in front of me.

"What's this?"

"The aspirin will help with what appears to be a low-grade fever and the bagel... well, you shouldn't go without eating. You need your strength."

"Thank you."

I was so not hungry, but at his pleading look, I took the aspirin and then a bite of the bagel.

When we'd finished breakfast, he rose from the table.

"Well, hope you have a nice day. You might want to go lie down for a little while until you feel better. I'll get one of the counselors to check on you and-."

"Wait-."

"Yes, Melissa?"

"Um... Can I talk to you for a minute? It's pretty important."

In one very insane moment, I'd managed to paint myself into a corner, as my dad would say. I never understood what that meant but I'm guessing that it meant that now I had no choice but to tell him how I felt.

"Sure, what's on your mind?"

I looked around nervously. "Um... not here. Can we... go to... um... our bench?"

He smiled and put his arm around me, causing me to shiver and it took all the strength I had not to lean against him.

Within minutes we were in the same place where we'd been so many times before; where I'd confessed about Bianca and Brett and everything that was going wrong in my life.

But this was completely different. Because instead of talking about my problems with other people, I was going to tell him what was in my heart.


	26. Chapter 26

"So what's on your mind?"

I swallowed hard, trying to rehearse in my head what I was going to say. I had it perfectly planned out and now my mind was completely blank.

Way to go, Sherwood.

I couldn't believe how patient he was, waiting for me to talk because we must have sat there for at least fifteen minutes. And finally I knew I had to say something.

"Henry?"

"Yes?"

"I-I'm sorry for the way I treated you. Wh-when I first came here. I was a total... well, anyway. I'm sorry."

He smiled and nudged me a little, the way Spencer did during the rare moments when I got along with my little brother.

"Don't worry about it. I'm sure plenty of the kids around here hate me but hey, what can you do?"

The words left my mouth quietly. "I don't hate you. I could never..."

When he hugged me, I felt tears spring to my eyes. "Thank you, Melissa. I appreacite that."

When I sighed, the breath came out broken and I looked away. But not before I felt his hand on my shoulder.

"Is something bothering you? I've never seen you this quiet before."

This made me laugh. "Yeah, I know right? I'm always such a big mouth loser who never-."

"Stop, right now."

I shivered at the touch of his fingers on my mouth. "You're not a loser so stop saying that. You're a kind person whom I've grown very fond of. And if Brett and Bianca and anyone else can't see that, well..."

"I love you, Henry."

He stared at me, stunned at what I had just said. And I could hardly believe that I had said it. But then I said it again.

"I love you. I-I mean... I'm in love with you. I-I can't stop thinking about you and I admit that I didn't like you much when I first got here... I'm so sorry about that... but then you saved me and I guess I just...I-I mean, I know I'm only seventeen and you're... however old you are, but..."

He ran his hand nervously through his hair. Clearly he wasn't expecting some dweeby camper to admit that they were in love with him. How pathetic.

And yet, here we were.

It was a long moment before he spoke; probably the longest of my life.

"Melissa, I... I don't know what to say."

I stared at him and I knew that this moment wasn't going to last forever. And so I did something that I never intended to do. I moved closer and closer to him until our lips touched in a kiss.

But not just any kiss.

I felt him gasp in response and I positioned my hand around his neck, drawing him closer and kissing him the way I'd seen on TV.

But he didn't draw back. He put his hand on my back as we kissed again and again.

Finally, when I was almost completely out of breath, I drew back and smiled, kissing him one last time.

He continued to stare at me but this time I smiled.  
"I love you too, Henry."

Before he could respond, I rose to my feet. "I have to go... um... take a nap, but I'll see you later?"

"Melissa..."

"Bye Henry!" I yelled, blowing him a kiss.

I saw him staring at me as I ran back to my cabin, his fingers touching his mouth. I wanted to do something really nice for him, take him out to dinner or something. I know I'm just seventeen and seventeen year olds hardly had any money but I could definitely afford something from the local diner. And it would be just the two of us. I just knew he would love it.

I made a phone call and even arranged for a taxi to come and get us. Kind of pathetic and not very romantic but hey, it was the best I could do.

About an hour later, I had changed clothes yet again. Amazingly enough I had packed a sundress, which is totally weird. Who wears a sundress to summer camp? But it was perfect for a romantic dinner... Well, as romantic as I could get it anyway.

When I was completely ready, I walked out of my cabin in search of the man I loved. I was just about to head over to Henry's cabin when I remembered our special bench.

The sun was setting and it was such a romantic scene. What a perfect place for me to tell him about the surprise I had for him.

I took off in a run, which was totally insane, considering that I was wearing high heels and almost broke my ankle, but I slowed when I neared the dock. I could see him silhouetted against the sun and he looked so beautiful... if men could be called beautiful that is.

"Henry, you'll never guess what I did for..."

I stopped dead in my tracks, unable to believe what I was seeing. For instead of one silhouette there were two.

One was Henry, the other...

Oh God, this wasn't happening...

My chest ached and I wanted to run as far as I could but I could only stare. For not ten feet in front of me, stood the man that I loved... the man that I thought loved me... but he was there with her...

Beth...

That lame camp director. At that moment I'd never hated a person more than I hated her.

And when her arms slid around his neck and they kissed-even more passionately than Henry and I did, I knew I was going to be sick.

But I couldn't make myself leave. Instead I moved closer, trying desperately to keep my trembling mouth from revealing my complete and utter humiliation and hurt.

And then I could hear them talking;

"I love you so much, Beth. You know that right?"

They kissed again.

"Of course I do. I mean I hope so anyway." She said, placing her hand on her stomach. "This kid's going to need a father who loves him."

A sob escaped and my hand flew over my mouth.

Oh God... Oh God...She was pregnant. Which meant that they had...

Suddenly I felt sick... really sick and I took off my shoes and ran as I'd done so many times before. When I reached a cluster of trees, I bent over and got sick, not caring that there was hardly anything in my stomach to begin with.

And then I went back to my cabin and packed my bags. I had to get out of here and fast.


	27. Chapter 27

When I got back to my cabin I could hardly breathe and I thanked God that I was there alone, because I fell onto my bed, sobbing uncontrollably.

Huge, racking sobs that were even worse than when I found out that Brett was dating Stacy Abbott. This pain was far worse than that ever could be. Brett never showed me one ounce of attention and he certainly never kissed me.

Without even bothering to call my parents, I was grateful that I had booked the taxi ahead of time. When it arrived, I left a note for whatever camp counselor would notice my absence (because I'm pretty sure that Henry wouldn't have) and grabbed my bags and headed for the taxi that was waiting at the entrance to Camp Firewood.

"Where to?"

"Um... Augusta, please."

He looked at me like I was completely mental.

"Augusta, Maine?"

"No, Augusta Georgia! I snapped. "Just go already! I don't care how much it costs!"

He shrugged and sped off. The ride back home took even longer than the ride to get me to that stupid camp; something I didn't think was possible.

After what seemed like eons, I arrived at home. I wasn't about to tell my parents what I'd done. They'd kill me if they knew that I used their emergency credit card for a taxi ride that was more than triple my weekly allowance. I was going to be in serious trouble and I knew that I'd be grounded forever but I didn't care.

Thank God my parents weren't at home. But I didn't want to be alone so I did what I swore I would never do...

I went to Bianca's.

The minute she opened the door she stood and stared at me, as though unsure if she should hug me or slap me.

"What are you doing here? I thought you were at that concentration camp?"

Her ridiculous mistake made me laugh.

"It's a Jewish Camp, not a concentration camp! Geez, Bianca, don't be so lame!"

"If you're going to stand there and insult me, why don't you just leave?"

"Fine! I will!" I yelled. "See you ar-."

Suddenly my voice broke and I collapsed into sobs, my knees buckling as I fell at her feet on her porch.

"Melissa!"

She knelt down beside me and took me into her arms, carefully helping me to my feet. Without ever letting go, she held me tight; even tighter than Henry had and I could swear that we stood there for an eternity.

Somehow she managed to guide me over to the porch swing and even more amazing, got me to tell her what happened, despite my sobs.

I told her everything; How I hated Henry at first, then had feelings for him, how I was so angry with her for what she said about him being too old for me, how I confessed to him that I loved him, the kisses, our so called disastrous non-date, finding him and Beth on the dock-on our bench... I told her all of it.

And she listened without ever saying a word.

"I'm so sorry..." She said finally, rocking me in the swing and stroking my hair as though I were a child.

We were like sisters then... and our friendship grew to something I never dreamed it could have. I knew I should apologize for getting so mad at her, but I realized that I didn't need to.

I spent the night at her place and her parents graciously called my parents and explained the situation. Well, they skipped the part about Henry but told them just enough so that I wouldn't be grounded for the rest of my life.

They even offered to pay the credit card bill, which was much too generous, but they insisted.

After a while things returned to normal somewhat. School began again and since I was almost eighteen, which meant that I was a Senior! I could hardly believe it! Only one more year of Augusta High School and then I'd be off to college. It didn't seem possible!

The weather turned cooler and I was getting into the swing of things, having almost all but forgotten about my summer from hell.

But then something happened... A letter came for me; one that changed my life.


	28. Chapter 28

I hadn't thought about Henry in so long, which was strange considering how often I thought about him last summer.

How in the heck did he get our address? And what was he doing writing to me?

But even though I was pretty much "over him" there was still a dull ache when I remember what I saw that day on the pier.

I wanted to hate him for doing that to me, and hate Beth too. But I just couldn't. I still cared about him deeply.

Instead, I retreated into the privacy of my room and carefully opened the envelope. I could feel my hand trembling when I unfolded the letter and began to read;

Dear Melissa,

I'm a little hurt that you left so suddenly and we didn't have a chance to talk about what happened between us, but I'll let you in on a little secret. That night, I saw you standing on the pier, wearing that beautiful sundress and you looked so grown-up. I know that sounds lame and I probably sound like your father but I guess it's just my way of not being able to tell you what I really want to say.

But the whole point of this letter was to explain things and not to make you understand. Because if it were me, I don't think I'd understand at all.

I'm sorry I never told you about Beth and I. We've been seeing each other for a while now, even before camp even started. And at first we were just friends, like you and I. But then I started to like her a lot which led to... well, what you heard us talking about. It's been several months since camp ended and we have a beautiful daughter... a daughter that we named Melissa.

I stared at the letter in disbelief. Henry and Beth named their daughter after me? It didn't seem possible.

I know you're probably wondering why we picked that name and I can assure you that it was my idea. I never told Beth why. I just told her that I thought it was a beautiful name and should belong to a very special person.

Now comes the hard part of this letter; talking about what happened between us.

Melissa, I cannot tell you how touched I am by what you said that night. I remember every word and I will cherish it always. When you kissed me I felt like a teenager again and I know that you don't want to hear this but if I were younger... a lot younger in fact, I would like nothing more than to fall in love with you. But we both know that it would never work.

That being said, I am so sorry that you had to find out about Beth and I the way you did. I wanted to talk to you, but somehow I knew that you wouldn't want to hear what I had to say and I can't blame you. You were hurt and heartbroken and for that I am truly sorry.

For you deserve someone who will love you deeply. Anyone who says that seventeen is too young to fall in love is wrong.

I may be just an astrophysicist and not a psychiatrist or therapist, but I know what love feels like. And I meant what I said before; love hurts when those feelings aren't returned.

But I had hoped that by talking to you we could have at least parted on good terms. Thankfully someone saw you leave in the cab and I was able to ask the cab company where they were taking you.

It was risky, prying into personal business like that but I was so worried about you. And that's when they told me about your plan to go to the diner and I realized that was the reason you were all dressed up.

Melissa I cannot tell you how terrible I feel about this whole situation and I know that my words won't help but I beg you from the bottom of my heart to forgive me. Don't blame yourself because you've done nothing wrong. And I promise never to breathe a word of this to anyone.

I'd like to see you again-as a friend or even perhaps as a co-worker. You're sure to be graduating soon from high school and in the future you might need a job. I can assure you that Camp Firewoood would love to have you as a counselor. Beth is going to be very busy with our daughter and I want to scale back my duties a little as well.

So that being said, I've enclosed a photo of our daughter. And I hope that one day she'll grow up to be just like you.

Love,

Henry

Tears spilled from my eyes as I held the picture of the most beautiful baby I'd ever seen in my hand. She had brown hair and was wrapped in a pink blanket smiling as though she knew that she was having her picture taken. And holding her in his arms was Henry with his wife Beth by his side.

The beautiful sight made me cry even more. But these were no longer tears of humiliation and pain. They were tears of happiness. I could hardly believe that anyone would think so highly of me that they'd name their daughter after me, but then again not everyone was as special as Henry. And I did love him... as a friend.

Without even bothering to wipe my eyes, I dashed out of the house and ran to Bianca's house, eager to show her the wonderful letter I had received.

Fall, 1982 Camp Firewood.

"Hey Henry, got a letter for you!"

I smiled grateful to have a break from the exhausting game of football that had commenced on the lawn.

Wearily I rose to my feet, realizing that the task grew slower with every passing summer. But it was with haste that I rushed to retrieve my mail from McKinley. I had to shudder every time I realized that he was the new camp director but since it was my wife who chose him, I knew I didn't have much say in the matter.

"Whatcha' got?" I asked, taking the envelopes from him.

"Bills mostly." He said.

I shuffled through the stack, my mind working rapidly trying to figure out how I would possibly pay for...

I stopped suddenly staring at the blue envelope in my hand, unable to believe what I was seeing. For there, written in near-perfect penmanship, was a letter from Melissa Sherwood.

At that moment, I felt as though I had received a love letter, one that no one else should read and I quickly took the rest of the mail and returned to my office. I closed the blinds and settled into my chair. After the way I'd hurt that poor girl, I was sure that I'd never hear from her again, and if I did it was through her parent's lawyers!

But this was no legal document. This was a carefully written, well thought out letter, addressed only to me.

Dear Henry,

I got your letter a while ago and I'm sorry I never wrote you back but I didn't know what to say. I admit that I was in a sense eavesdropping the night I saw you and Beth kissing on the dock, but I swear it was a total accident!  
I only came back because I wanted you to come with me to the diner. I had called the taxi company after we kissed (I still can't believe I did that, although I can't deny that I didn't enjoy it), and arranged for what would have probably been the lamest dinner possible. But I thought you loved me too and when I realized that you were with Beth, it hurt me... badly in fact. I'm not trying to make you feel bad although at the time I wanted to. I wanted hate you, to scream at you for doing that to me after all we went through. But I couldn't because you were just being honest with me about your feelings.

I'm in college now; at Bates College, studying Liberal Arts and I really love it. College is way better than high school. And about your job offer... I'm touched... floored, really... that you would want to associate with me after everything that happened. But I may take you up on your offer, because I'm sure that I'll be looking for a summer job. You'll probably be sick of me within a few weeks but it's worth a try, right?  
Anyway, that's all I wanted to say except...

Thank you, Henry... for everything. I know that I didn't always treat you with respect (Heck I barely did that) but you showed me how much a person can care and I will never forget the way you saved my life. Not just by saving me from drowning but you also saved my friendship with Bianca.

Because if things had worked out differently between us, I might not have rushed home in tears and headed straight for her house where we shared the best talk we've ever had. Not to mention tons of tears.

And I can't even begin to tell you how stunned I was that you named your daughter after me. The mere thought makes me cry. No one has ever done anything like that for me before. And I'm thinking that if I ever get married and have kids; my son will be named Henry.

I mean, has there ever been a more perfect name?

I hope to meet Melissa one day because she's most beautiful baby I've ever seen. Tell Beth congratulations for me.

And Henry, I know this is stupid because it's way late for me to even be saying this but can you tell her that I'm sorry for being so mean to her when I was there? I feel terrible about the way I treated both of you. I was just bitter and stupid and didn't want to be there at all.

But that was no reason to be so mean.

Anyway, I should probably go because I have to meet someone soon, but I can't thank you enough for everything. And I hope to see you as soon as I can... if only to give you a big hug as thanks-even though it will never be enough.

Love,  
Melissa Sherwood

PS: Oh, one last thing! I've enclosed a picture from my high school graduation. I'll get you a more recent one as soon as I can, but I wanted you to have this. On the left is Bianca. She's still as crazy as ever but I love her to death. I'm in the middle, and look, no more glasses or boring hair color! And on the right, with his arm around me and that handsome smile on his face is my boyfriend... Brett.

THE END


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